Epinephrine: the chemical of energy & alertness

I used to think I was bad at focus.

Some mornings, I’d feel unstoppable—sharp, clear, energized. Ideas would land. I’d knock out work in record time.

Other days: total fog. I’d sit there, scrolling, staring, refreshing my inbox—waiting for my brain to click.

For the longest time, I blamed myself. Not disciplined enough. Not organized enough. Not enough.

But it turns out, nothing wrong with me. I was just operating on a system I didn’t understand.

A system where neurochemicals drive my energy and focus.

Last week, we explored dopamine—the molecule of motivation, desire, and pursuit. It’s what makes you want something, what gets you excited about a goal.

Epinephrine is the molecule of energy, alertness, and action. It’s what turns that motivation into focus and action.

You can think of dopamine as the spark and epinephrine as the fuel.

Of course, I’m breaking these down into separate emails for clarity, but in your brain and body, these systems are deeply interconnected. The same tools that boost dopamine often also boost epinephrine. And that’s good news—because it means a few simple practices can shift your entire neurophysiology!

Let’s get into it. Epinephrine: what do we need to know?

Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) is the body’s rapid-deployment ‘go’ signal. 

Your adrenal glands can release it as a hormone for a whole-body surge, while select brainstem neurons release smaller pulses that fine-tune vigilance.

In the right amounts, epinephrine makes you:

• Alert. Your heart rate speeds up, blood flows to your brain and muscles.

• Focused. Thoughts sharpen, distractions fade.

• Energized. You’re ready to act—physically or mentally.

This is why a mild “adrenaline rush” can actually feel amazing. That focused, in-the-zone state? That’s epinephrine doing its job.

Great for short bursts, but something you’ll want to down-shift after “the mission” is accomplished.

Like all of these chemicals, epinephrine is powerful—but it’s also a double-edged sword.

Too much, too often? You get jittery, anxious, and burned out. Your brain races, but you can’t focus. Sleep suffers. Performance crashes.

Too little? You feel sluggish, unfocused, and flat. Your energy is there, but it’s buried under a fog.

So the key isn’t necessarily more epinephrine—it’s balanced, well-timed epinephrine.

In this email, we’ll explore three ways to experiment with this:

• 📈 Baseline: Keep epinephrine in check

• 🧰 Directed: How to boost epinephrine when you need it

• 👩‍💻 Task-Oriented: Using epinephrine to fuel focus

📈 Baseline: Keep epinephrine in check

Your first goal is to create a stable foundation—so your energy is steady, not chaotic.

None of this stuff will be groundbreaking to you - we know this. It’s just a matter of actually doing it.

🧰 Directed: Boost epinephrine when you need it

Sometimes, you want a controlled boost—right before a presentation, a focus block, or a workout.

• Cold exposure: A 30-second cold shower or even splashing cold water on your face. This triggers a mild adrenaline surge without overstimulation.

• Cyclic hyperventilation: A powerful breathing technique for focus:

  • 25-30 rapid deep breaths (inhale through nose, exhale through mouth).

  • Exhale fully, hold for 15-30 seconds, then breathe normally.

  • Repeat for 2-3 rounds.

• Short, intense exercise: 1-2 minutes of jumping jacks, a quick run up the stairs, or shadow boxing. This sparks an adrenaline release and clears mental fog.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice that these are pretty much the same tools I shared in the dopamine deep-dive. Not a copy paste error! Dopamine is actually the precursor to epinephrine. What this means:

• Dopamine spikes in the brain’s reward/motivation circuits, signaling “this is worth pursuing.”

• If the challenge is big enough, the nervous system converts more dopamine into epinephrine to fuel that pursuit—faster heart, more glucose, sharper focus.

Like I said in the intro: Dopamine is the spark. Epinephrine is the fuel. They work together.

P.S. Refer the newsletter to one person and I’ll send you my Dopamine Toolkit, where I’ve included a guided cyclic hyperventilation recording + a movement GIF I use when I only have 2 minutes to move. Always gets me out of my head and into my body!

👩‍💻 Task-Oriented: Using epinephrine to fuel focus

Epinephrine thrives when you give it a reason—a clear signal that what you're doing matters. Three simple ways to turn that into action:

1. Have a WHY

Before starting any task, ask yourself: Why does this matter?

• “To share ideas that change lives”

• “To provide for my family”

• “To pay off my debt”

Epinephrine responds to either love (passion, impact) or fear (avoiding failure, proving yourself). Use either.

Andrew Huberman’s why? “To communicate the beauty and utility of biology.” I heard him say on a podcast that’s what he reminds himself of every time he sits down to record a new podcast.

Mine? “To trigger fascination and curiosity about your nervous system.”

(What’s yours?)

2. Timed work sprints + recovery

Set a timer for 20–45 minutes of deep focus. Push yourself fully.

Then pause and regulate:

• Take a minute for a couple of physiological sighs (two quick inhales, one slow exhale).

• Or take a longer break with an NSDR session

• (fyi both tools are explained in the dopamine toolkit)

This push-then-recover approach keeps your energy sharp without burning you out.

3. Stimulus pairing

Anchor focus with sensory cues:

• A playlist you always use for deep work (like mine—I just hear the first tone of this track, and I’m dialed in)

• A specific scent (essential oil, candle) that signals focus mode

• Lighting that shifts when you enter work mode

Over time, your brain learns to associate these cues with alertness. Rapid epinephrine access on demand.

Build a solid baseline, boost it when you choose, and let it drop when it’s time to rest.

That’s how you teach yourself how to focus. Not through force. Not through flagellation.

Just through simple, free and healthy tools.

So next time you catch yourself feeling like you’re on edge—or like you can’t seem to get started—check your epinephrine.

Go through this list.

Pick 1-2 tools to experiment with.

See what shifts.

Next up… Acetylcholine—the chemical of precision and focus.

Refer this newsletter to ONE person and get immediate access to the Dopamine Experimentation Kit

Know someone who could use a healthy boost of motivation and energy? Send them this newsletter using your referral link below.

You can use this simple, no-pressure blurb if you’d like, just don’t forget to add your unique referral link (see below - click on the big yellow button or copy paste the link below)

Once they subscribe, you’ll get an email from me with the toolkit - a simple, structured overview of several high-impact ideas to experiment with.